Etsy Orders CSV vs Order Items CSV: what's the difference?
Etsy offers two sales exports that look alike but answer different questions.
| Orders CSV | Order Items CSV | |
|---|---|---|
| One row per | Order | Item (line) within an order |
| Typical columns | Sale Date, Order ID, buyer name, Number of Items, Date Shipped, shipping address, order totals | Sale Date, Item Name, Quantity, Price, Variations, SKU, Order ID, Listing ID, Transaction ID |
| Best for | Shipping status, bookkeeping, order totals | Knowing what to make or pull from stock |
Column names and their order can change over time, and some appear only if they apply to your shop (for example SKU, if you use SKUs). Check the header row of your own file.
How they connect
Both files include an Order ID, so you can match items to their order. That's how our pick list tool offers an "unshipped only" filter: it reads item lines from the Order Items CSV and looks up the shipped date in the Orders CSV.
The Variations column
Variations are usually stored as text like Size:Large,Color:Blue. The same choices can appear in a different order, which breaks spreadsheet grouping. The tool sorts them so "Color:Blue, Size:Large" and "Size:Large, Color:Blue" count as one line.
Which one should I download?
For production, start with Order Items. Add Orders only if you need shipped/unshipped status or order totals. For bookkeeping, the Orders CSV is usually the better start, because each row is one order total. Talk to your accountant about which figures they want, since fees and taxes may be reported elsewhere (for example in your payment account statements).
Related guides
Open the free pick list tool →Last reviewed October 2026. Etsy changes its interface over time. Spot an outdated step? Email scout-labs@mail.grokbot.com